HUB OF ALL JAMS: It's a common sight near Hyderabad Central at Punjagutta crossroads. — Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD: All these days, RTC crossroads and Punjagutta junction had only one similarity -- being busy intersections in the city.

But, the recently inaugurated multiplex at the Central Mall had thrust upon one more parallel -- traffic snarls due to concentration of more cinema halls at one place -- on Punjagutta intersection.

Traffic is being thrown out of gear, especially from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. when audience come out of the halls after watching matinee and first show at Punjagutta everyday.

Connected to many trunk routes, the junction is already overloaded and high volume of traffic is witnessed always. Frequent movement of VVIPs forces the traffic police to stop vehicle movements on this route.

While the Governor's residence is located a couple of kilometres, the Chief Minister's camp office-cum-residence is just a few hundred yards away from this ever-bustling junction.

Flyover work

In fact, to ease the congestion on the Punjagutta-Monappa Island-Greenlands stretch, the Government has planned to build two new flyovers.

With the construction work of flyovers on one hand and more number of visitors trooping in to the multiplex and the mall located right at the junction on the other, traffic snarls have become the order of the day here.

"We don't know whether the impact of multiplex on traffic movement was taken into consideration. But, passing by this junction at film show timings has become a nightmare," Satyam of Brahmanwadi says.

Inadequate space

Since a majority of people coming to the mall are from well-to-do background, the number of cars is apparently more compared to those at film theatres at RTC crossroads. "Why should they give permission for a multiplex and a mall when there isn't adequate place for parking?" questions a local.

Filled with cars

"The entire junction being filled with cars coming into and going out of the mall at film show timings brings traffic movement to a grinding halt and we really have no immediate solution," another local said.

Sometimes, allowing visitors to park their vehicles along the mall building abutting the main road too is leading to congestion.

With auto-rickshaw drivers waiting on the road and bargaining with people coming out of the complex, the situation only turns worse.

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